Is your life better because of Facebook?
This week, Facebook has been a buzz with everyone either sharing or boycotting their special Facebook ten year anniversary movie. I have to admit I have only watched two: my mother’s and my own.
Way to go Facebook! By making a short movie about each of us, you have made us feel special and made us like you more.
Yes, I admit to spending time on Facebook everyday; however, when I joined in 2007, it was to play Scrabble.
Social media has changed our lives, as has the technology that allows us to access it wherever we are that there is a cell signal or wifi. I have heard many a parent tell their kids to get off their smartphones at dinner. I have heard many of my friends quit Facebook all together but remain on Instagram, to self-inflicted punishments of weaning themselves from social media. I have heard the dominance of selfies is creating a more narcissistic youth.
Is it something that makes you feel positive?
My daughter said something very insightful the other day about social media. She said that if you really wanted to know what is going on in her life, you would be in personal contact. That is true. I agree, but there are people I would not have contact with from my past that I hold dear if it weren’t for social media. I wouldn’t know that their dog had died, that their daughter had broken her elbow, that their washing machine had busted, that they just ate the best meal, that….
Do I really need to know these things? Do I feel closer to these people? Does it make me a better person?
If your experience on social media is like mine, and I largely refer to Facebook as that is the one I visit consistently (got to check on those Scrabble games), you can categorize your friends (and self) based on the types of posts they feel relevant. Here’s a few characterizations:
Facebook Types
- Lyrical: This Facebook type usually only posts lyrics from songs.
- Political: This type is always ranting and sharing no matter what side they are on.
- Deeply spiritual: This person is always seeing the positive side of the metaphysical world whether it is New Age or Christianity.
- Sports fanatic: It’s all about the team!
- Nature lover: Can’t stop posting those photos of epic spots on Earth! (I think this is my type)
- Vaguebook: Always referring to something but you are not quite sure what it is. It is usually something deep going on in their life.
- Celebratory: Always at a party, with friends, celebrating life!
- Throwbacker: They live for Thursday!
- Selfie: You know who you are!
What type are you? I am sure I am missing a few…
My daughter doesn’t like Facebook, as you can see from the above discussion. I think it doesn’t appeal to today’s youth as it does to their parents and grandparents because they live more in the moment. They don’t have a past to reconnect with and feel the joy and excitement of finding a long, lost friend. They are more into taking and sharing selfies on Instagram or Snap Chatting with a friend.
I don’t feel guilty for Facebook, as many of my friends do. I do try to be aware of when I am using it in the presence of real people, as I have been accused of not being with the ones I am with but in a virtual world. This I will work on…
Anyone up for a game of scrabble?
I was that 7 year old. I didn’t know how to clean my room. I was so frustrated because they might as well have been telling me to fly to the moon. My Mom a scientist, was just so naturally organized – that she couldn’t understand my disorganized ADHD (Undiagnosed at the time) brain. My paternal grandmother did get it (of the 5 1st cousins on that side 4 of us are ADHD/Dyslexic – unusually we are all females).
Mimmi took a timer and set me a task and set the timer for usually 5 or 10 minutes. I would do the task trying to do a good job and beat the clock. After that Mom used the same method, almost daily to help me keep organized. I still use that method. Periodically I have a friend come help me redo organization both at home and in my classroom.
My sister (also ADHD/dysgraphic) doesn’t have the physical space problem to the extent I do. She periodically uses a similar method to help her kids get organized. 4 times a year they weed out clothes, toys that the kids have outgrown. Then she uses the timer technique each evening for the kids to put up things and get stuff ready for school the next morning.